A New Love on a Farm
by cm27815
Summary: The Aristocats come to visit the Dalmatian Plantation.  During the visit, new friendships will be made, and maybe there will be new love as well.
1. New Arrivals

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot idea. This fic will have points from the original book, the animated movies, and the TV series.

It was a beautiful day on the Dalmatian Plantation. Patch was glad of this as he walked across the barnyard. He knew that his family's pets were expecting visitors a little later. His mother had told all the puppies to be welcoming. Patch knew that would be more difficult if it were a rainy day.

Just then, he heard the sound of a car pulling into the farm's driveway. Patch ran over to greet the new arrivals. The first to step out of the nice-looking car was the driver, an older male human. He moved to the rear door and opened it. An elderly lady stepped out. Patch gave a friendly yip of greeting. The lady smiled down at him and said, "Well, isn't this a surprise. When I heard the family here had pets, I wasn't expecting dogs." This confused Patch until he saw a family of cats jump out behind the lady. He was surprised too; no one on the farm had expected cats were coming. "This would be worse if Lieutenant Pug weren't away," Patch thought ruefully. Then he stepped forward and introduced himself to the family. Patch learned the tom's name was Thomas O'Malley and his wife was Duchess. The two male kittens were Toulouse and Berlioz. When Patch came to the girl, he almost got tongue-tied. For a cat, she was very pretty. Then he swallowed and said, "Welcome to the Dalmatian Plantation. My name's Patch." She looked at him and replied, "I am Marie. Thank you for your hospitality." "Yes, thank you for coming to greet us. You have very good manners," Duchess said. Patch blushed and said, "I try, ma'am."

Thomas then spoke up, "So, are you the only one here?" Patch shook his head. "Oh no, there's a lot more than just me. Follow me and I'll show you." By this time, Roger and Anita Radcliffe had come out to greet the new arrivals. "Welcome to Cherry Tree Farm," Roger said. "We're so glad you came to us, Madame," said Anita. "Thank you for your hospitality and your help," she replied. Berlioz asked Patch, "Help with what?" But someone else answered him, "My pet, Roger, is a musician, of sorts." It was Pongo, Patch's father, along with his wife, Perdita. After another round of introductions, Duchess said, "Pongo is right. Madame contacted him to write some new music for some friends of hers. She liked his 'somewhat unorthodox style,' I believe." "Well, whatever the reason, some new faces are always welcome here," Perdita said. As they were talking, the Dalmatians were leading the cats up across the yard. Toulouse spoke up, "Patch mentioned that there were more of you." "Oh, Patch was downplaying our numbers a bit," Pongo laughed.

As they turned a corner around the barn, all three kittens' jaws dropped open. Patch grinned as they saw the other puppies running and playing all over the barnyard. Duchess and Thomas were also surprised. "How many of you are there?" Duchess asked in an astonished voice. Patch and his parents exchanged a look, then Patch answered, "Well, counting us, there are 102 Dalmatians on this farm."

A/N: Well, here I am trying again. Please read and review. I welcome any constructive criticism, but please, no flames!


	2. Histories and Feelings

Disclaimer: As mentioned, I own nothing here.

It was two days later. Once the cats had gotten over their shock at seeing so many dogs, Patch and his parents had given them a tour of the whole farm. O'Malley and Berlioz liked the size of the barn, saying it would make a good music hall. Duchess and Marie were a little put off at first, especially by the smells coming from Ed and Dumpling's sty, but once they got used to it they found they liked having so much space to move around in without needing supervision from Madame. Toulouse loved the surrounding countryside, saying it would make a great scenery painting.

As the cats took all this in, they were all introduced to some of Patch's siblings. First up were Lucky, Cadpig, Rolly and Spot. Pongo and Perdita explained the purpose of the cats' visit, and reminded them to be on their best behavior. Other pups that the cats met that day were Jewel, Penny, Tripod, Two-Tone, Rebecca, Freckles, Pepper, Patches, and Partner. When Marie asked how they all kept track of each other, Pongo explained that every evening, when it was bedtime, all the pups were counted to make sure no one had wandered off. Patch added that most of the pups formed their own little groups based on shared interests or experiences.

By this time, evening was setting in and Madame Bonfamille was calling the cats to the farmhouse to get settled in, and Nanny had begun releasing kibble from the chow tower. The two groups promised to share stories of how their families had come to be the next day.

Patch smiled as he remembered as he remembered that second day. It seemed that both families had had some adventure in their lives. He had enjoyed hearing the cats' story, as well their descriptions of Scat Cat and his gang. He also saw the obvious devotion between the cats and Madame Bonfamille. It was very similar to the feelings his family had for their pets. His parents had opened the story of how they'd met, married, and had the original fifteen puppies.

He and Lucky then took over telling how they had been taken by Cruella de Vil, and how they met the other eighty-four pups that she had bought. Pongo and Perdita chimed back in by describing how they had found the puppies and come to rescue them. Patch then finished by telling the cats about how he had been separated from the others when they moved to the farm, and how he and the others had been captured again.

At that point, the other pups had all finished by telling how Patch had rescued them all by himself. He had tried to downplay it, but no one listened. Toulouse and Berlioz both looked impressed, as did O'Malley. Duchess was astonished, and Marie had stared at him with a look of…

Patch shook himself. He must have imagined that look. Still, he held onto the memory of their talks. He had to, because he had to go give them some rather bad news: Lieutenant Pug was back. He and the Colonel had just returned this morning from meeting some old military friends of theirs. Patch was on his way to warn the cats about Pug and his paranoid hatred of cats. He had asked Lucky to tell the Colonel, since he would be more reasonable. Hopefully, he would be able to keep Pug in check.

As Marie bedded down beside her mother and her brothers, she thought about Patch. After hearing the stories of him and his family, she couldn't help but feel something for him. He was definitely brave, but not arrogant about it. He was also cute, for a puppy. Marie was looking forward to getting to know him better.

A/N: Well, here's a bit of foreshadowing later. The next chapter will show Patch spending more time with Marie.


	3. A New Experience

Disclaimer: I only own the plot for this fic. Disney owns everything else.

Patch (and most of the pups on the farm) was very excited. Lieutenant Pug had had to leave again for a few days, and would therefore not be back for some time. Luckily, he had not seen the cats when he had been here. This was fine with Patch, as it meant he could spend more time with their guests. His favorite show, "The Thunderbolt Adventure Hour," was coming on the telly in a few minutes. He wanted to share this with his new friends.

***line break***

Patch ran to the farmhouse, where the five cats were currently staying on the farm. He slipped in the doggie door and looked around. Sure enough, the kittens were finishing up their dinner of milk and chunks of fresh fish. Patch walked forward and said, "Hey everyone. How was dinner?" Duchess replied, "Delicious, Patch. Your Nanny is a wonderful cook." "Yeah, everyone agrees on that," Patch replied. "Mmm, that was yummy!" said Marie. Her brothers echoed the sentiment. "Well, what brings you here, Patch?" Thomas asked. "Oh, I wanted to invite you all to watch the telly with us," Patch said. "'Telly?'" Duchess asked with a confused look. "Yeah, the television," Patch replied. "Oh, Madame doesn't have a TV," Thomas said. The kittens just looked confused – they had never heard of television. Patch realized a quick explanation was in order.

***line break***

Once Patch explained the basics of what a television was, the kittens were eager to try it out. Duchess was a little reluctant, but Thomas persuaded her to let the kittens try something new. So, Patch led the way to the barn, where the telly was set up. On the way, he asked what they thought he'd meant when he told them about meeting Thunderbolt. Berlioz replied that they thought Thunderbolt was a radio character. He went on to explain that Madame listened to music on the radio as well as the phonograph.

***line break***

"Well, you learn something new every day," Patch thought as he led the kittens to a good spot in front of the telly. Thankfully, they had arrived a few minutes early, so the best spots were still open. Patch looked around and saw Lucky, Cadpig, Rolly, Spot and Rebecca a few feet away. He waved to them in greeting, and then turned back to the kittens. Toulouse was inspecting the television, noting that it had dials similar to a radio. "Just wait," Patch said, "I'll turn it on now." It was perfect timing. Just as the screen flickered on, the theme song for Thunderbolt began to play. Out of the corner of his eye, Patch saw that all three kittens were enthralled by the television, although Marie did not seem as enthusiastic as her brothers. He would have to ask her about that later. "Do you know what episode this is, Patch?" Toulouse asked. Patch looked back at the screen. "Yeah, I do, but I'm not going to tell you. A lot of the other pups complained that I spoil the show too much," Patch said ruefully. "Shhh!" That was one of the other pups. Patch whispered, "I know Thunderbolt's a dog, but I think you'll really like it." "We already do," Berlioz whispered back. Those were the last words spoken as dog and cat alike sat back to watch the show.

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"I have to admit, that was really good," Marie said as she and Patch walked together back to the farmhouse. Her parents and brothers had gone on ahead, while all of his siblings were bedding down in the barn. "Are there any other shows that you all watch?" she asked. "Well, Cadpig, Rebecca, and a few of the other girls enjoy watching soap operas," Patch said, though he couldn't hide a slight grimace when he said that. "Oh, I love soap operas! I listen to them on the radio at home," Marie exclaimed. "Well, go see them tomorrow. They'll show you what they're like on television," Patch said. "Thank you, Patch. Both for showing us the television and for the good time tonight," Marie said. "I was glad to do it," Patch replied. By this time, they had reached the farmhouse. "Well, good night," Patch said. "Good night, Patch," Marie replied. Then, on a flash of impulse, she leaned forward and nuzzled her nose against his cheek. Before Patch could do more than look surprised, Marie had turned and dashed into the house.

A/N: Well here's chapter three. Please read and review! I could really use some feedback, good or bad. Also, I'm going on vacation tomorrow and won't be back on a computer until next week. I will, however, try to do some writing. Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter up after I get back.


	4. Morning

Disclaimer: As always, nothing in this story belongs to me, so please don't sue! I can't cover the cost.

It was a beautiful morning on the farm. Most of the puppies were running toward the chow tower for a good breakfast, courtesy of Nanny. Patch, however, trudged along behind them, yawning. He had been unable to sleep well the night before. Images of Marie had kept running through his mind, keeping him awake. Thankfully, Patch hadn't woken anyone in the barn with his musings. He still wasn't sure what it all meant, but he was sure that he wanted to spend time with her, especially since she and her family would only be staying on the farm for a limited time. With this thought in his mind, Patch resolved to go see her right after breakfast. With that, he ran forward to join his siblings at the trough below the chow tower.

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Patch had no way of knowing, but Marie's sleep had been as restless as his own. For the life of her, she could not understand what had made her decide to nuzzle him that way last night. Sure, she liked him well enough, but they had only met a few days ago! That kind of gesture was a little too affectionate; at least she thought it was. Then again, had her Mama and Thomas – now her Daddy – done the same thing in less time? Oh, this was so confusing! One thing she knew for certain, she wanted to see him and spend time with him. With that thought, she stood up from her bed and began giving herself a good wash before breakfast.

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Patch walked with barely suppressed energy. Breakfast had done him a world of good. Now, he was on his way to the farmhouse to see Marie. Thankfully, he had not made plans with any other pups for today. As he came to the doggie door, he thought about what he would say to her. He was very nervous, as he had never felt this way before. Before he could think on this anymore, he heard a voice call out, "Patch!" It was Toulouse. "Good morning, Toulouse," Patch greeted. "How'd you like your breakfast?" Toulouse replied, "It was purrfect!" "Well, it's like I said, 'Everyone loves Nanny's cooking,'" Patch said. "You weren't kidding," said Thomas, padding into the room, followed by Duchess and Berlioz, who echoed the sentiment. "I'm glad you all think so," Patch said, "but where's Marie?" "Oh, she'll be along in a moment," Duchess replied, smiling. "She is just washing up after breakfast." Patch was actually a little relieved; this gave him a chance to speak to her parents about his plans. He didn't even mind all that much that her brothers would probably tease him; he already got plenty of that from his own, numerous siblings. So, after taking a deep breath, Patch stepped forward and said, "Say, Mr. O'Malley-" But Thomas interrupted, "Patch, I said this before – call me Thomas." "Okay…Thomas, I was wondering – would it be all right for me to show Marie a few other places around the farm today – just the two of us?" Patch could not believe he'd actually had the nerve to get all that out. Apparently, most of the cats weren't expecting it either – only Duchess did not have a shocked look on her face; instead, she was smiling rather knowingly at him. "Of course it will be all right, Patch," she said before her husband could say anything. Thomas shut his mouth and settled for raising an eyebrow at Patch. Before anyone could say anything else, a voice called, "I'm here!" Patch turned and saw Marie coming through the kitchen door. He could tell she had been grooming herself, because her fur shone in the early morning light. She looked even prettier than when he first saw her. Patch couldn't help the blush that itched at his skin under his hair. "Oh, hello, Patch," Marie greeted with a smile. Patch smiled back and said, "Good morning, Marie." "What brings you here so early?" Marie asked. Patch swallowed, suddenly nervous again, and said, "W-Well, I was wondering if you'd like to see some more of the area around the farm." "Oh, I'd love to!" Marie replied, realizing that now she could be around him for a while. "Is that all right, Mama?" "Of course, darling. Patch was just offering to take you before you came in," Duchess replied. Patch blushed again. Marie looked surprise for a moment, but then smiled and said, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Seeing her excitement, Patch managed to shake off his awkwardness. "All right, we'll be back in time for lunch," he said. Duchess waved her paw at them and said, "Go on, we will see you later." As Patch and Marie moved toward the doggie door, Patch chanced a look back. While Duchess was smiling – and so was Toulouse, Patch noticed – Berlioz was sticking his tongue out and Thomas looked somewhat annoyed. Patch realized that he may not quite approve of this, but before he could think too long on it, Marie called his name and he followed her out, determined to enjoy his time with her.

A/N: Well, I finally managed to get this done. It took me forever to work out how I wanted it. So, Patch has one parent and one brother on his side. Will the others follow? We'll see! As always, please review! I could definitely use more feedback.


	5. Flower Field

Disclaimer: You all should know by now that I own nothing.

As Patch led Marie along the barnyard, he thought to himself about what they could do together. He knew that she wanted to watch soap operas on the telly, but he had overheard Cadpig and Two-Tone saying that they didn't come on until after lunch. He briefly considered taking her to Hiccup Hole, but remembered that Lucy was in a worse mood than usual lately and had actually chased Lucky and Rebecca out yesterday. Patch was stuck.

Marie was thinking along similar lines. She was curious about what Patch was going to show her today, but she also wanted to think of things she could do with him. She considered inviting him to her music lessons, but decided he would probably find it boring. She had also seen last night that he did not care for soap operas (most boys were like that, she'd noticed), so that was out. Marie was stumped, too.

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Suddenly, Patch had an idea. He knew that one of the fields near the farm had a huge amount of flowers, and there was a nice breeze. A good gust would blow petals all over the place. Patch knew he would enjoy a good run through that field, and he believed Marie would, too. "Patch?" Marie asked. "What are you thinking about?" "Oh, just where we're going," Patch replied. "Oh? Where is it?" she asked. Patch smiled slyly and said, "It's a surprise, but I know you'll love it." Marie smiled back and replied, "I can't wait."

*****line break*****

"Oh, Patch, it's beautiful!" Marie gushed. Patch had led her through a small grove of trees and under a fence to a huge green field, dotted in places with lots of colorful flowers. She had never seen anything like it, not even on the trek through the French countryside with her family. She almost wished Toulouse were here so he could paint it. "How did you find this?" she asked him. "We've all seen parts of the fields around the house, but I knew this one had a lot of flowers, and they just started blooming," Patch replied. "Do you like it?" "Patch, I love it! It looks – and smells – wonderful!" "Well, if you like, we could go run and play down there – just the two of us," Patch said, thankfully without revealing how nervous he was. Marie suddenly grinned and tapped him on the nose with her paw, then ran down into the field. After a second of confusion, Patch beamed, gave a short yip, and gave chase.

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As they ran side-by-side through the field, Patch remembered something Marie had told him. During her family's journey back to Paris, she had tired more quickly than her brothers, and it bothered her. She did not want to be seen as weak just because she was female. Patch, who had seen his mother fight to save him – not to mention some of his sisters –, knew that Marie just needed to build up her energy so she wouldn't tire out so fast. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was a girl. Looking at her running now, Patch believed she already had all the energy she needed.

*****line break*****

Suddenly, Marie stopped. Patch skidded to a stop a few paw-steps ahead of her. She had a strange look on her face, almost like she was hesitating over something. Instead of speaking, Patch decided to wait. Sure enough, a moment later Marie spoke. "Patch?" "Yes, Marie?" "Why did you pick this place to bring me? I mean, you don't seem like the type who would like flowers," she said. Patch replied, "Well, maybe I thought you would enjoy it and that was enough for me." He said this without any real bite in his voice, but Marie flinched. "I'm sorry, Patch. Mama has been trying to teach me not to assume anything about people, but I still-" At this, Patch interrupted, "Marie, it's all right. On some days, you might be right. For today, though, I'm enjoying this place." At his words, Marie relaxed. Seeing this, Patch smiled and said, "Come on! We've got this huge field to play in! Let's go!" Then he turned and took off. Marie laughed and chased after him.

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They spent the whole morning in that field. One minute, Patch would chase Marie up part of the field, and then the next, Marie would turn and chase him. At one point, Marie ran right through a group of flowers just as a gust of wind blew some of the petals up. When Patch saw this, he stopped and stared. To him, Marie was the most beautiful sight around. When she giggled at his expression, it snapped him out of his trance, and he ran after her again.

A/N: Well, here's another chapter, finally. Like my profile says, I have no real pattern as to my updates. I can only get them out as they come to me. That said, please review! It looks good to me, but I could use some feedback.

A/N2: Also, for those interested, there will be some action later on. I won't spoil any more than that.


	6. Meeting Trouble

Disclaimer: As I've stated before, I own nothing here.

Patch and Marie laughed happily as they walked back across the barnyard. It was almost lunchtime, so they were returning to meet up with their respective families. Neither of the two could remember when they'd had such a good time. Patch was used to a lot of running around – it came with the territory of having such a large family – but Marie had never had a run like that with her brothers before. She was a little tired, but it was a good feeling. Plus, she had gotten to see the most beautiful field she'd ever imagined. Marie smiled at Patch and said, "Patch, I can't remember when I've had such a good time. I wish it didn't have to end." "Me either, Marie, but we'll be able to have more fun together," Patch replied. "I know, but-"

Suddenly an obnoxious voice rang out. "Well, if it isn't Patchie-boy!" It was Mooch. He and his gang had just come around the corner of the farmhouse, no doubt planning on causing trouble. On seeing them, Patch glared and said, "What do you want, Mooch? I _was_ having a good day until you showed up." "Oh, the guys and I are just doing our own thing. How 'bout you? What are you doing with this cat?" Before Patch could answer, Marie chimed in, "Patch was giving me a very nice tour of the farm. Now if you'll excuse us, we were just leaving." Then, before Mooch could fire back, Marie beckoned Patch to follow her. The pup and kitten walked off, leaving Mooch glaring at their backs.

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Patch trailed just behind Marie, trying hard to keep his mouth from gaping open. Finally, he spoke up, "Marie, that was amazing! You handled Mooch perfectly!" Marie smirked and said, "It wasn't so hard. He's obviously not used to anyone talking back to him." "Well, some of us do, like Lucky and Cadpig, but you're right. Most of the others just try and avoid him," Patch said. Marie then asked, "But then, why do two of your brothers hang around him?" Patch grimaced and said, "Well, Whizzer is a lot like Mooch. He loves pulling dumb pranks on people. As for Dipstick, well, he's not that bright, so he usually just follows whoever gives him instructions. Mooch does that a lot, so they stick together." Marie frowned and said, "That's actually rather sad." "Well, Dipstick does know, somewhere in him, that hanging out with Mooch isn't the best thing, but he's so used to listening to him that he just goes along anyway," Patch replied. By this time, they had come to the farmhouse. Neither spoke for a moment, before Patch said, "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry. I'm gonna head for the chow tower for lunch, then I guess I'll head for a nap in the barn while you watch your soaps with the girls." "All right. I'm headed for lunch too. Thank you for the wonderful time, Patch," Marie said with a smile. Patch smiled back and said, "It was my pleasure." Then he turned and ran for the chow tower. Marie watched him go, and then walked through the doggie door into the house.

A/N: Well, a short chapter here. The next one will show lunchtime for both our heroes, and will also show their discussions with their families. R&R please!


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